Top 5 Academy Award Best Actor Winners in History

It's time again for the Academy Awards and that means time to pick who will receive the Award for Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture. Each year the Academy picks one actor whose work they deem to be far and above the best in the movies of the previous year. Although many have been nominated over the years, there can only be one winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture each year. Here are 5 of those who won their Oscar and the movies they win them for.

1. Jack Nicholson, On flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975: As Randle P. McMurphy, Jack checks himself into a mental hospital to avoid finishing a term I prison thinking that he will slide through with the rest of the crazies. While there we see the many sides of his character played with absolute credibility from start to end. Now considered a culturally significant movie this popular cult movie one of Jack Nicholson's best.

2. Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady 1964: The irrepressible Professor Henry Higgins made us all laugh as he struggled to teach the lowly barrow girl from the street (Audrey Hepburn) how to act like a lady. While perhaps not the most challenging of roles, Rex Harrison gives us all a taste of British upper class with utter conviction.

3. Marlon Brando, The Godfather 1972: Probably the best performance of his career as the head of the Corleone family; Brando had us sitting on the edge of our seats wondering what he would o next. From the first time you hear him speak, to the last; leaves you in no doubt who is the head of the family. Interesting to note Brando actually turned down this award.

4. James Cagney, Yankee Doodle Dandy 1942: Who would have thought that the tough guy gangster of the movies would make a musical? In this biographical film about George Cohan, the musician, actor playwright, dancer, singer and producer, Cagney excels at showing the world that he is so much more than a hood. Taking this fun part and making it his own, gave rise to an exceptional film.

5. Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs 1991: Portraying the serial killer/cannibal; Hannibal Lecter, he gave us one of his most outstanding performances. As he goes from a vicious criminal to twisted mastermind, he leaves us in no doubt who is controlling who. Mastering a truly evil look and feel to his character, Hopkins leaves us watching over our shoulders for days after seeing the movie.

One Oscar or two, these Actors leave us no doubt that they have earned them with great skill and incredible acting. Some of the movies were great, some were just good, but the bottom line is that the actors themselves gave exceptional performances. Each year brings us a new crop of actors to choose from and while we may not agree with the judges, one thing we can all agree on is that the winners have all earned the title Best Actor in a Motion Picture.